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"He will be a great fit," Thomas told ESPNNewYork.com. "He is a tremendous wing defender and offensively he simply knows how to play -- moving without the ball, slashing to the basket. His outside shooting has improved and will continue to, and he is an excellent passer and underrated ball handler."

Brewer, who played with the Chicago Bulls last season, said joining another playoff team and the opportunity to start were attractive factors. This could mean that J.R. Smith will continue to be the Knicks' sixth man, which he was mostly last season.

The 6-foot-7, 227-pound Brewer has career averages of 9.0 points and 1.4 steals in six seasons. It's his lockdown abilities that likely were most attractive to the Knicks, with defensive specialist Iman Shumpert (knee) out for the first half of next season.

Brewer is viewed as an upgrade over Landry Fields, whom the Knicks let go after not matching the Toronto Raptors' three-year, $20 million offer sheet. For the money he'll be earning, Brewer is a financial steal, and now the Knicks have someone they feel confident about using to guard the best shooting guards and small forwards in the league.